Latch mechanism



March 2, 1954 D. L. WENHAM- LATCH MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1952 In Ve- ZZ I- Guy &6 L --1* At ys.

-March 2, 1954 D. 1.. WE HAM 2,670,981

' LATCH MECHANISM v Filed ,Jan. 31, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 84 Inn/672a Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LATCH MECHANISM Douglas L. Wenham, Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand Application January 31, 1952, Serial No. 269,196

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-114) The invention relates to catches for doors and the like, of the type commonly known as flush catches, wherein a. control member is normally held by spring pressure in an outer position so that the catch will keep the door,;or the like closed, and the control member is adapted to be pressed inwards by finger pressure against the spring resistance to release the catch and to make available a recess which can be gripped by the finger to open. the door, or the like. i 1

Although the invention has been devised principally for use with doors, it can be used for other purposes, for example for keeping drawers or the like closed, and facilitating opening of the same.

One object of the present invention is to provide a catch of the above type which is easier to use than present catches of the said type.

In one aspect the invention consists in a catch of the type described, for a door or the like, wherein the control member is bodily slidable inwards to disengage the catch and the construction is such that any side of the recess can then be gripped by a finger to enable the door, or the like to be pulled open.

, Another object of the invention is, to provide a catch of the above type which is simpler to fit than present catches of the said type.

In a further aspect, therefore, the invention consists in a catch of the type described, for a door or the like, wherein the construction is such that. only one round hole is required through the door, or the like to enable the part of the catch mechanism associated with the door or the like to be secured in position.

In a still further aspect, the invention consists in a catch of the type described, for a door, or the like comprising a housing adapted to be inserted through a hole in the door, or the like and to be conveniently secured therein, the control member being suitably retained in said housing and having a press-button part by which it is conveniently slidable bodily inwards in the housing against the spring resistance, and a hook part projecting beyond the inner end of the housing, and a separate co-actingmember adapted to be mounted to the frame or cabinet or the like adjacent to the door or the like and to be operatively engaged by the hook part to hold the door or the like closed. when desired, the control member in its outer position being rockable in the housing against the spring resistance to allow the hook part to snap over the co-acting member with closmg ofIthe door or 2 the like and guiding means being associated-with the housing to guide the movement of the control member so that when it is pressed inwards the hook part will move inwards and tow one side so that the door or the like can be opened without the hook part fouling the co-acting member.

Inits outer position the control member is preferably held against excessive outward movement by means of an inwardly projecting -.lip formed in the housing and the lip is preferably provided all around the recess to provide a fin-. ger grip available from any side of.the recess for opening the door or the like.

A feature of the invention in its preferred form resides in the construction of the catch to pre* vent opening of the door or the like except upon an initial inward pressure and movement of the press-button part.

One form of the invention and a modified form of 'co-acting member will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a section on the line l-l, Figure 2, through the catch and through a part of the door and frame with which the said catch is operatively associated, the control member being shown in its normal outer position,

Figure 2 is an elevation at right angles to Figure 1, showing the two principal parts of the catch in engagement,

Figure 3 is a section on the line l--I Figure 2, showing the control member in its inner po sition,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through a part of a door and a frame member adjacent thereto, showing the invention with a preferred form of co-acting member,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the co-acting member shown in Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a front elevation showing the co acting member or the underside of a shelf.

In the construction shown in the drawings, a housing I of cylindrical and tubular form is adapted to be inserted through a hole in the door or the like and has an outer peripheral flange la adapted to engage the outside of the door or the like, the inner end of the housing being threaded to receive a preferably knurled ring or nut 2 which engages an inner side of the door or of the front of the drawer. or the like as the case may be, in order to secure the housing therein.

The inside of the housingis in the form of a cylindrical chamber ,3 with an inwardly, proend of the housing. The control member has an outwardly projecting flange 5c adaptedtftoiact with the lip or flange lb of the housing to.hold the control member against excessive outward movement so that the control member is normally held in the position as shown in iiiigure .1 by means of the compression spring .6 .but is bodily slidable inwards .in the housing against the spring resistance to'disengage the catch.

"Thespring B is held-in compression'between the press-button part 5b-of the control "member and the slotted memcer l.

The hook part 5:: is formed with :a hook lip fidadapted to engage a separate co-acting'memher :1 to be hereinafter described, and a cam face lie on the shank of the hook part is adapted to engage guiding means comprising :oneend-of the'slotla so that when the control member is pushed inwardly the hook part will move at:an angle inwards .and to one side into the position shown inFigure 3, sothat whenthedooror'the like .is opened the hook part 511 will not-"foul the member I. The upper edge-oi the said ;hook part is shaped -:as shown .to .-.permit the .zangiilar inward andside movement of the control member when the same is :pressed inwards in :the housing.

The co-acting member 1 is .in the:form=of:a

disc la having a curved wall 'i'bprojectingtperpendicularly therefrom, with a lip 'lcforming the outerend of the said'wall'so that the;same will be securely engaged by the hook lip Edoizthe hook part *5a. The disc 'la'is provided withhcles to receive mounting screws 1d for mounting the co-acting "member to the frame or cabinetor the like adjacent to the door or the like.

The alternative form of co-acting -member shown in Figures 4 to 6 comprises a sguare wall 8 having a lip-8a formed along one edge, for

engagement by the hook part, and with two flanges 8b and 8c projecting perpendicularly from two of its other edges, both flanges projecting at the same side of the wall 8.

Eachflange has a hole 9 and a slot 90: therein,

to receive screws [0 for holding .theco-acting 7 member in position. The co-acting member can be mounted .as shown in Figure 4, or alternativelyit can be mounted as shownin Figure 6. The latter mounting'can be-used when the coacting member is mounted below a shelf, whereupon the vertical disposition-of the lip 8a allows for a limited vertical sagging ofthe shelf without afiecting engagement of the hookpart with the co-acting member.

With both methods of mounting, the iflange not used for securing the coacting member in position acts as a brace for the wall8.

'In operation, when the door or the .like is closed, with either of the forms of co-acting member shown in the drawings, the hookppartja'is engaged over the lip 10 or 8a, the shank part at '5e being so designed and associated with the end of the slot to that when the catch is closed with the hookpartproperly engaged withithe co-acting member the door or the like'cannot Cal open except upon an initial inward pressure and movement being applied to the press-button part.

When the press-button part of the control member is pressed inwards as is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the control member slides bodily inwards and its hook part moves at an angle inwards and to one side to disengage the coaching member, due to theengagement of the :cam face is with the end of the slot 4a. The lip or flange '[b in the housing is made available all around the said housing due to the bodily inward movement of the control member, so that ithe finger can engage the said lip or flange convenientlyjrom any desired angle, i. e. from any side of the recess, for the purpose of enabling the door or the like to be pulled open.

The montrolzmeniber in its outer position is rockable in the housing against the spring resistance to allow the hook part to snap over the co-acting member, the slot in the member 4 being designed to allow said mocking.

The catch may be made of metal or of any suitable plastic or of any desired combination of the two, =or=of any other suitable material.

A ieature of the invention is its simplicity .in that it requires-only one round hole :to be .drilied in the door or the like for .either vertical ,or horizontal opening ;of the .said door or the like. Also the attachment :to the door or stherlikelby a ring or nut 2 obviates the necessity :for :any visible screws outside the door or the like.

I claim:

l. 18. latch .amechanism for a closure .member comprising aihousing :having a:flang.e at goneend and aguide :member secured in the other end of the housing, a control member movably mounted in the 'housing having .a .press button portion at one:end;and:ahook member at-the other end witha'cam face -between:the-tv.zo:ends, said control :member :being *movable ;so :that :the press button portion ismovabletoward and away from the flange and the control :member ;is .partially retractable into andadvanceable from zthe housing at the :guidemember end of the; housing, said button :portion of :the control ,membei'ihav ing a shoulder portion adapted r'toecontact the flange toflimit the movement of thecontrolmember in thedirection toward the flange, and a spring mounted :around :the control smember abutting at :one :end thereof against the :guide member and the other end against .the press buttonportion, said pressI-button of :thecontro'l member 'beingadapted to bepushed inwardlyin a direction away 'from the flange by a finger of the J operator toward the guide member :so that the cam face of the control member will contact the guide :member to deflect :the hook .member to 'releasingzpositionwith the finger, of the :operator :positioned between :the :flange Land the press button portion whereby :the finger sengages athe flange xto open the closure .member.

SA latch mechanism :ior a closure =member comprising a housing having an inwardly :projecting flangeat oneend and a guidemember in screw threaded contactat the other 'end of the housing, a control member movably mounted in the-housinghaving apress button portion at one end and a hook member at the other'end with a cam surface between the press button portion andfhook member, said press button portion be: ing-adapted-to contact theflange to limit 'the movement of the control member in the direction toward the flange, and meansto urge the control member toward the flange, said control member being 'movable so that-the-press button portion is movable toward and away from the flange and the control member is partially retractable into and advanceable from the housing at the guide member end of the housing, said press button portion of the control member being adapted to be pushed inwardly by a finger of the operator in a direction toward the guide member so that the cam surface of the control member will contact the guide member to deflect the hook member to releasing position with the finger of the operator positioned between the flange and the press button portion whereby the finger engages the fiange to open the closure member.

D. L. WENHAM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Germany July 16, 1933 

